Chapter 467 – A Better Fit

“Finally! Took you long enough to swipe all the dirt under the rug, didn’t it?” Jellal huffed, stopping before Asterios. “Two months! But, don’t think it will deter me! Patience is a commodity I possess boatloads of!”

Visenna rolled her eyes out of his sight.

“My apologies, Respected Mentor.” Asterios grinned at him. “I had important interdimensional arrangements to tend to. But, they are now wrapped up. We are able to welcome you to our domain so that you can see for yourself the benefits of our ways.”

“We’ll see about that.” The man scoffed.

“Jellal, you shouldn’t arrive in Dragon Valley with unnecessary preconceptions,” his mate offered her guidance. “I’m sure you received my regular reports about not just the lessons but also everyday affairs of its citizens. That place is truly a wonder and we all know it.”

“Reports.” Althea’s former mentor laughed. “And I should believe she didn’t embellish them in the slightest on their way to me? With how glorified they were? You know there’s no way a place this perfect can exist.”

“There is!” One of the male disciples pushed forward. “I mean no offense to Nestmother Rhufija’s efforts, but she can hardly compare! There’s so much free space, so many friendly people of many races, such a huge number of establishments of all kinds, and most importantly, practically no danger!”

A short female hopped up and down behind the small crowd. “And we are learning so much! Can other mentors pit their disciples against a massive Dracodon without the fear of losing their lives? Our entire class wasn’t enough to put a scratch on him! But it was so exhilarating to experience!”

“The theoretical knowledge is more than adequate too,” a more composed woman chimed in. “I’ve never been a fan of history, but I think that’s because our lore is just so… bland. Lesser Dragons are slaves, they escape, then they always hide from True Dragons and live in constant terror in bubbles like this one. Meanwhile, elves go through generations of intrigue and schemes either internally or with other races. And when those come into play, it’s just so sophisticated and engrossing.”

“Nah, in my opinion, the military service is the best part.” One of the men puffed his chest out, Asterios just noticing that he was wearing his Dragon Guard attire. “We get to fly around the realm with a reliable partner, fighting monsters and criminals all around, or even diving into an unpredictable dungeon now and then. Nothing has ever been so stimulating before. I think I found my calling.”

Practically everyone wished to share their thoughts but Jellal waved his arms to push them all down before he drowned in praise.

“I see, yes, yes, you are still young and easily influenced, I understand and will make sure to take your opinions into consideration as I examine the reality on my own,” he stated. “Let’s not waste our breaths and—”

“But it is real.” Visenna released another sigh.

“I get that, my dear. However, the definition of reality varies per perso—”

“And one more thing, Jellal,” she cut him off again. “I’m seeing someone.”

It was like someone had physically slapped him across the face, making him stumble.

The next moment, the man directed his furious glare at Asterios. “You vicious—”

“It’s a female,” Visenna once more interrupted him.

A deafening silence descended upon the stage. The disciples stared at his now definitely former mate and him in turn. Some were already growing sneers on their lips, assuming the worst things in the male mentor, just like Althea had suggested her kin would. This was going to result in rumors, for sure.

“I’ll introduce you two after we arrive in Lord Asterios’ city,” the polite emerald lady continued. “I believe her input will be valuable as she provides an unbiased perspective of a woman completely uninterested in the lord’s affections, thus impossible to sway or seduce either with promises of companionship or power. Some would even consider her his rival in certain aspects.”

The gathered weren’t completely sure how to take such statements, but they could sense that there was something between the two women.

“If you are ready, should we ask Lord Asterios to open up a passage?” Visenna finished, peeking up at Asterios with a respectful dip of her head.

Jellal looked like he had just swallowed a lemon.

And it seemingly didn’t want to go all the way down, reminding him of its presence in his mouth as his throat worked out tense swallows.

“No,” he finally rasped, his eyes a little twitchy. “Not yet. I don’t wish to travel today. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. I need to… prepare.”

Glancing around rather frantically, he didn’t wait for a response and waddled to the edge of the platform, lifting off in his Lesser Dragon form. Everyone followed his unstable flight as he navigated between the floating rocks, almost grazing against a few sharp points during his exit.

“Well, there’s that.” Althea snickered, evoking a few chuckles from the group. “I apologize for wasting your time, Visenna.”

“Please, don’t apologize, Mentor Althea.” The younger Dragon bowed. “And, if you may, I would like to join your and Mentor Phatru’s lectures from a bit closer in the future. If you would have me?”

Phatru’s lips took a motherly smile as she gazed at her. “Gladly, Disciple Visenna. Everyone is welcome to learn.”

Visenna beamed back at her gently and nodded. Asterios liked seeing her satisfied expression.

“I guess I’ll see you lot at home.” He turned to his conscripted forces. “Though, I myself might be attending your lessons from time to—”

“Lord Asterios!” A familiar voice descended upon them from above.

Shortly after, a red-scaled serpent followed it, soon morphing into the figure of the woman they were more than just familiar with. Nestmother Rhufija touched upon the stage, evoking respectful greetings from the other Lesser Dragons.

“Nestmother Rhufija.” Asterios followed suit. “A pleasure. I hope we didn’t disturb your nest?”

“No, you did not. I simply sensed your arrival and rushed here to meet with you.” The haven’s overseer displayed an honest smile. “Is everything alright? On my way here, I saw one rather disgruntled individual making a hasty retreat through the settlement.”

“There is no need to trouble yourself with that, Nestmother,” Phatru responded. “Jellal was just listening to everyone’s stories from Lord Asterios’ realm.”

“Ah. I see.” Rhufija peered into the distance with a shadow of understanding. “I’ve heard plenty of good things about that from my subjects during the last few weeks. I must say, it gladdens me greatly. I’ve never seen them so lively before.”

A bunch of people tried to hide their blushes.

“I’m honored.” Asterios laughed openly, making an exaggerated bow. “But, it’s mostly thanks to everyone else as I was busy with rather dangerous matters in the meantime.”

“Dangerous, yes.” She scrunched her lips a bit. “Unfortunately, it’s a term that can be used for our matters too, as much as I wished things were as peaceful as in your homeland.”

He turned serious in a flash. “Is something wrong?”

The Nestmother released a wistful sigh. “It’s not exactly a secret so I may as well tell you here. There has been an increased number of sightings in the past month. True Dragons pass by our colony much more often. And they usually bear azure shades.”

“Those guys.” Frowning deeply, Asterios grunted. “It’s possible we might not be able to push their issue away for any longer.”

“I don’t know if I wish to implore your benevolence even more,” she said hesitantly. “However, my people are scared. Some are scared for you. They have grown to see you in a good light.”

“I don’t blame them.” He shook his head with a mirthful smile. “A single True Dragon against an entire nest of such doesn’t look good. But, with two of them, the prospects seem much more promising.”

“Pardon?” Lady Rhufija blinked at him confusedly.

“There’s something I was planning to do in the upcoming days.” Asterios snickered. “I just decided to push it forward a little. If you’ll allow me, I need to return and begin my preparations. If things go according to plan, we’ll show up to permanently solve your issue tomorrow. Or the day after.”

“Are you sure?” She stared at him with a trace of worry in her eyes.

“Well, I can’t exactly guarantee the time, but I am sure about dealing with that nest,” he replied. “We have some plans in about a week so it would be good to close this chapter before that. I don’t want us to end up stretched too thin and something dangerous happening while our side is unable to come.”

“I shall await the good news, then.” The Nestmother made a polite bow. “Let us know if there’s anything we can help with, be it lending you our warriors or anything else.”

“I’m hoping not to involve any Lesser Dragons in this. Just in case we don’t fully succeed and the news about the assault spreads. If the word carried around mentions a conflict between True Dragons, other groups should be more reluctant to settle in the area,” Asterios explained.

“A wise approach.” Althea smiled at him proudly. “If you show off a little afterwards, it should make the region safer, marking it as your own territory. But are you certain you have it in you to do what’s necessary to establish it?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” He met her gaze firmly. “Alright. Would you like to stay for a while or return with us, Visenna?”

“I shall come with you. There is nothing that awaits me here now compared to your realm,” the jade-haired lady answered. “May we come out of the passage near the adventuring encampment? I have prior obligations there in an hour or so.”

“I’d rather avoid opening a breach there if it’s not necessary, but we’ll transport you to your destination after getting back.” Asterios nodded to himself. “Until next time, Nestmother, Disciples.”

Under everyone’s inquiring watch, he cut into the fabric of their dimension and created a fierce crimson slit in the air. Taking Visenna’s hand for added safety, he jumped back to Kraedorion. They arrived without an issue, popping out in Althea’s lair. Soon after, they merged with the shadows at their feet and plunged into the ground.

Barely a second later, the pair emerged amidst the dungeon camp, near the guild’s pavilion. Asterios escorted his companion inside and quickly spotted a familiar party slowly getting ready for their next expedition. Visenna saw that he had noticed and her cheeks gained a tiny bit of color as he smirked knowingly.

He approached the boisterous woman who was the leader, his draconic guest tailing him closely. Rudy didn’t miss him coming, which would be hard with the way people parted before the famous local lord and quite recognizable adventurer.

“What do we have here?” She grinned wildly. “Are you going to grace us with your great presence during this dive, My Lord?”

Snickering, Asterios shook his head. “Maybe next time, my friend. My schedule is packed for today. I simply decided to show up while delivering your girlfriend for the next delve, making sure she doesn’t turn up late because of me.”

Rudy found Visenna behind him, who stepped more into view.

“Damn, did I get beaten to it again?” The muscular warrior laughed boisterously. “As much as I would like to, she isn’t—”

Her sentence cut off midway, however, as the person in question glanced aside with a faint curl at the corners of her delicate lips.

“Well, I think I’ve finally tied up all the loose ends I’ve been mentioning, so…” the Dragon girl trailed off. “If you would have me?”

Blinking absentmindedly for a while, Rudy then launched herself forward and scooped the much thinner lady into her athletic arms, starting to spin them around.

“Of course I would, you pretty thing!” She rained little kisses all over the other woman’s face, evoking charming chuckles from the recipient. “Ah, but your enchanting looks aren’t the only thing I find attractive in you!”

“I know, I know!” Visenna laughed beautifully. “Now let me down, you oaf! People are staring!”

“Normally, there’s only one person who gets to call me that and doesn’t end up with a fist in their stomach,” Rudy stated, giving Asterios a massive grin again. “But, I think adding another to that list won’t be that bad.”

“I’m happy for you.” He snorted lightly and reached out to pat her on the shoulder. “Just be mindful. She might look subtle and fragile, but she’s way more than you can currently handle. I wonder who would take a fist to their stomach worse.”

She appeared a tad confused while looking between Asterios and Visenna when the latter stepped closer and wound her arm around the adventurer woman’s elbow.

“I think it’s time I introduced myself properly,” Visenna said with a mischievous tone, meeting Rudy’s eyes a tad foxily. “Thankfully, we have an apt opportunity for me to show you rather than tell.”

“Good luck.” Asterios smacked the strong woman on the back and winked at the lithe Lesser Dragon.

Sharing a few nods with the men in the party, he retreated outside. Taking a deep breath, feeling truly content with how things had turned out for the two girls, he refocused on even more important matters. One quick message later, all his mates were informed about his request for counsel. Slinking into the shadows, he moved himself to the meeting spot first, choosing Althea’s bower for the upcoming discussion.

One by one, his beloved ladies showed up through their gates, and he greeted each of them with an appreciative kiss. Tia materialized last, taking a seat next to her best friend and his incredible mentor. Sitting in a tight circle, they all looked at Asterios intently.

“The schedule is moving forward a tad,” he began. “At first, I wanted to try Blood Summoning using my onyx side just to gain my own agent amongst the lineage, hoping that he or she could look for clues about the noctis’ master for us. But, Rhufija worries about the Dragons near her nest. I thought about taking it out alone to make a bigger statement, but I also understand how anxious that would make you, so I decided to tackle it with our new ally. After I succeed at making them into one. Your thoughts?”

“You understand that it will be necessary to prove your superiority for another True Dragon to submit to you, right?” Althea reminded him. “There’s a minuscule chance that this attempt won’t end up in a battle almost to the death.”

“Master is so much stronger now! He can do it!” Miria cheered.

“I understand and feel ready for it,” Asterios confirmed. “It’s just how things are. I can’t run from them forever. At worst, I gain a slightly unruly subordinate, at best they can be reformed enough after spending some time with us and become the first step in our faraway plan to create a peaceful realm for all creatures to coexist.”

“Lofty goals, but a ruler should have at least one.” Silvia graced him with an impressed look. “I agree to the attempt as long as we can watch over it.”

The others shared her sentiment, brooking no argument there.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smirked at them. “You’ve all gotten stronger too. I won’t be as anxious about your presence as before. Plus, I’m thinking about choosing the summoning place as one where we hold a powerful home field advantage.”

“Most likely not Althea’s lair or anywhere in your realm,” Selene noted. “It might be relatively safe here, but you wouldn’t risk anything happening to the people above.”

“Umbra’s realm,” Grea guessed correctly. “For one, he has control over the repurposed seal. Our target won’t find it easy to escape. Secondly, it’s full of rather aggressive natives that won’t take shit even from a True Dragon. Thirdly, the entire dimension is at its current lord’s whims, who turns out to be under your command. There’s only one caveat with this whole thing.”

“The shadows,” Bryn pointed out. “The onyx bloodline seems to share an affinity for it as we have seen from you, Master. Are we certain that the other Dragon won’t make use of the realm’s atmosphere to gain the upper hand?”

~I would like to see anyone try anything inside my domain.~ Umbra’s ominous laugh resounded in their heads. ~They would need to be on the level of Abyss to manage such a feat now that I’m one with the world core. Additionally, she will be present too, as she is still verifying its stability after the recent events. We’ll be there to stop anything serious from happening.~

“Then, there’s that,” Tia said brightly. “And you’ll have me in case things don’t proceed calmly. My healing won’t look like someone else interfering in the duel, and it technically isn’t since you made me yours so my abilities are obviously going to affect you passively. You can go all out during the fight.”

“So, it’s decided.” Selene hummed to herself. “Do we even know if it will work in the first place?”

“I’m not sure,” Althea answered as many pairs of eyes turned her way. “We do have three experts on Summoning Magic here. As for draconic things, it’s not like I have ever seen how individuals with two Hearts operate, capable of drawing the power of both lineages.”

“I have an idea,” Asterios replied. “We’ll just have to try. But, I’m fairly positive about it. Last time, I had only one Heart so things were more or less predetermined. Now, I have a bit more leeway.”

“Won’t that be an issue in itself?” Silvia pondered out loud. “Recall how that female reacted to seeing just one Heart inside you, even as it aligned with her bloodline. It’s highly likely that the dark-scaled one will have an even worse reaction after seeing your red source alongside the black one.”

“I’ve been practicing under Althea,” he reassured her. “As long as I don’t give them time to peer too deeply into me, they should only detect the Heart that I want them to, or even just my spiritual energy. Furthermore, I won’t be hiding my draconic features to avoid that kind of misunderstanding. In the end, I want to challenge the summoned person for the right to lead them, so they need to see me as an equal.”

“It’s risky, but we are reaching the stage where anything we do that might be a considerable upgrade is going to be dangerous,” Tina shared her thoughts. “I’ll do whatever I can to support you. Making you stronger not only makes us more powerful but everyone else much safer.”

The ladies voiced out similar statements, reminding the man they all cared for of their feelings and dedication.

“Very well. Operation True Dragon Domestication officially begins.” Asterios met their fond gazes with a warm smile, bringing forth a few amused chuckles. “I’ll handle the first phase. You are expected to help during the second stage, after I convince our new friend that it’s worth their time to stay with us. Let’s go.”